This week marks the twelfth year of FOLD’s coverage of the creative industries in Latvia. In the Nice Touch section, architect, urbanist, and chief designer of Riga Evelīna Ozola, who is one of the founders of FOLD, talks about the useful tools that help her cope with the unpleasant side effects that often afflict those who spend a lot of time working on the computer.
«Since my job involves long hours on the computer and no shortage of stress, I often have tight and sore back muscles. My physical therapist has introduced me to various massage and exercise tools that help to relieve the pain.
In the office, I use a small hard rubber ball to squeeze the sore spots by pressing it between the wall and my back. Supposedly, it can also be used for playing lacrosse. At home, I have a softer, larger massage ball with spikes that I keep under my back when I am lying in bed or sitting on the sofa. Sometimes, I also use it on longer car journeys. Among the rollers, my favourite is the long foam log, which can be placed directly under the spine. This allows working out the shoulder blades and strengthening the abs. I also really like the big exercise balls, on which you can stretch and do all sorts of exercises.»
Evelīna Ozola has a background in architecture and urban planning. She has worked in various architectural offices in Riga and Rotterdam and has carried out research and publications on urban environment and design, as well as lectured at universities in Latvia and Sweden. In 2018, she represented Latvia at the Venice Architecture Biennale as part of the curatorial team. Currently, Evelīna is the chief designer of Riga and the head of the Riga City Architect Service.
She is also one of the founders of FOLD and the first editor of the platform. In April 2013, following the merger of design blogs Plikums, DesignBlog, and Fine Young Urbanists and winning a competition launched by the Ministry of Culture, the Latvian creative industries communication platform FOLD was born.
Viedokļi